Pakistan offers higher education, technical skills to Muslim world

Islamabad : Pakistan has offered higher education and technical skills to the residents of Muslim countries for their development.

The offer was made by Federal Education and Professional Training Secretary Dr Sajid Yoosufani during the two-day 40th session of the executive council of Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in Abu Dhabi.

The event has been attended by the representatives of 54 member states of the organisation.

The secretary said to keep up pace with the new, changing world, the Muslim nations should adapt to innovations and technologies, especially in education and science.

He said Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan recently launched the Hunarmand Jawan programme, the country’s largest ever skilled development initiative, for the emancipation of youth through quality professional training.

“It is the need of the hour that Muslim countries take innovative measures to stay afloat with the modern world that has already stepped up in the world of artificial intelligence and cyberspace. We need to focus on human development by integrating new technologies and innovations in the education system,” he said.

Dr Yoosufani also supported the change of the name of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ISWESCO) and said the move was an effort to bring clarity to the title of the forum and making it exclusive.

Director-general of ISESCO Dr Salim bin Mohammed Al Malik said the Islamic world needed to develop an action mechanism for a new future.

“We have developed strategic plans to transform ISESCO into an excellent and efficient organisation in upholding Islamic values and principles and as a beacon of sustainable development worldwide,” he said, adding that the member states were actively supporting educational and cultural projects.

Dr Al Malik said the ISESCO would have an annual budget of $50 million by the end of 2020 and half a billion dollars by the end of 2025.

This meeting reviewed, over the course of two days, the organization’s new vision, action plan for 2020-2021, the new Medium-Term Strategic Plan for 2020-2030, and a number of organizational matters submitted by the General Directorate to the Council.

Notably, the ISESCO executive council also approved changing of the name of the organisation.

"Changing the name of the organisation aims to remove the common confusion regarding the nature of its non-advocacy tasks, and to open wider horizons for its presence at the international level," said ISWESCO director general Dr Salim.

He said the new name accurately reflected the nature of the civilisational mission that the organisation promotes in the fields of education, science, culture and communication, and the goals and objectives that it set.